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Mojarn Piett
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Post subject: Tau List Question Posted: Mon Feb 16, 2004 4:40 pm |
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Joined: Fri Feb 14, 2003 7:35 am Posts: 5455 Location: Finland
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Since we are talking about SM chapters, how about helping me choose one. First the limitations. I don't want to do "the usual" chapters, which pretty much includes most of the first founders. So ruled out are:Blood Angels, Dark Angels, Imperial Fists, Ultramarines Salamanders and Space Wolves. I also want to use all of the troop types which kind of narrows it down to Codex chapters. Out go White Scars, Iron Hands and Black Templars.
What I have personally considered. 1) Raven Guard. Pros: Interesting fluff, uncommon. Cons: dull (if easy) color scheme. 2) Angels of Vengeance. Pros: Dark Angels organisation, uncommon. Cons: dull (if easy) color scheme. 3) Celestial Lions. Pros: Interesting color scheme, uncommon, don't like Inquisition. Cons: according to fluff were about destroyed, difficult color scheme (how do I get that golden yellow?) 4) Death Knights. Pros: I like the shade of their green armor! I get to invent my own fluff. Cons: I must invent my own fluff. 5) Mortifactors. Pros: Nice fluff (see the second novel about captain invictus). Cons: laborious to paint in epic scale. 6) Novamarines. Pros: nice color scheme (the old one from RT era, NOT the one in new GW fluff). Cons: laborious to paint in epic scale.
so many to choose from... 
_________________ I don't know and I let who care. -J.S.
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Viscount Charles
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Post subject: Tau List Question Posted: Mon Feb 16, 2004 5:33 pm |
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Joined: Tue Apr 01, 2003 10:49 pm Posts: 63
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Easy to paint whilst still looking good were the main criteria for my Chapter - Codex compatibility was also a plus.
I settled on Silver Skulls - like most metallic colour schemes, they proved dead easy to paint.
If I had to start again from scratch, I'd choose the Silver Skulls. Or some other chapter (probably from the Rogue Trader days) with a metallic colour scheme!
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Legion 4
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Post subject: Tau List Question Posted: Mon Feb 16, 2004 5:55 pm |
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Joined: Thu Feb 13, 2003 5:13 pm Posts: 36984 Location: Ohio - USA
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Angels of Vengeance, I'm a DA fan and like "easy to paint" as I have 9 Epic Armies ! I have Epic UM, BA, SW, DA & Salamander SM Regiments ... 
_________________ Legion 4 "Cry Havoc, and let slip the Dogs of War !" ... "People sleep peaceably in their beds at night only because rough men stand ready to do violence on their behalf."
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Freshmetal
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Post subject: Tau List Question Posted: Mon Feb 16, 2004 6:46 pm |
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Joined: Sat Jan 03, 2004 6:07 pm Posts: 489
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This is exactly the reason I settled on Imperial Fists. I wanted a chapter which was likely to avoid a personal army list becoming official any time soon (ie: SW, DA, BA) and wanted something interesting to paint. I almost did Raven Guard, but with such small models, you don't want to lose the detail you get to black armour. If you don't already have other armies (or even if you do) try to choose a colour which will contrast to them (or what you are planning to paint them when/if you get around to it). My orks are many green/red, and I am planning on building a valhallen IG army, so Imperial Fists would stand out from both of them. Actually Imperial Fists would stand out from anything. 
_________________ Blastmarker.com
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vanvlak
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Post subject: Tau List Question Posted: Mon Feb 16, 2004 9:01 pm |
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Joined: Fri Oct 31, 2003 7:52 am Posts: 10348 Location: Malta
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Hi Mojarn, how about the Relictors? Shady, moody marines with a penchant for Chaos-brand trinkets.
_________________ Back from oblivion (again)?
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Hergrmir
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Post subject: Tau List Question Posted: Mon Feb 16, 2004 9:44 pm |
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Joined: Sun May 04, 2003 7:30 am Posts: 445
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Athmos
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Post subject: Tau List Question Posted: Mon Feb 16, 2004 10:19 pm |
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Joined: Sat Aug 09, 2003 1:06 pm Posts: 358 Location: France
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I personally think black armor are all but easy. My own chapter is black, and getting a 6mm mini that is black, look black, and still have enough shadow and light not to become "dull" and loose details and relief, i ended applying 5 Layers (not counting undercoat) on my marines : A very dark grey (Valejo "black grey"), a diluted black wash, then "black grey" (not in receses), codex grey/black grey first highlight, codex grey highlight, and sometime a very light final fortress grey highlight. Any color is easier (to me) than Black or White, since there is one color you can't shadow and one you can't highlight. There's no quick ink wash method, and to me it mean no shortcuts... But maybe you plan on a simpler painting level; i must admit i take Muuuuch time to make my army.
Back to choosing a color :
I Think black (and white) either look very good but are quite painful to do; or have a rather dull look.
I quite like any color, provided it can get deep shadows in the right place; It is very easy to get this with Green using Dark Green ink over DA green or Snot green, and they look very good on desert style base (quite appropriate for armaggedon, and very easy to do). I quite like DIY chapter, so alongside with the "green is mean" argument, i'd advise to do your Death Knight chapter.
Looks like you'll have to write this fluff... 
Athmos
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Tas
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Post subject: Tau List Question Posted: Tue Feb 17, 2004 12:26 am |
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Joined: Thu Mar 06, 2003 10:01 am Posts: 7823 Location: Sydney, NSW
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Blood Drinkers- cool idea, not much official stuff so you are free to develop your own detailed fluff. easy but bright colours
Soul Drinkers- bright, different. Again easy to paint. Can be used as heretics for your Chaos army as well!
Sons of Medusa (in case you think I have a thing for "Drinkers"!)- green with while helmets could look very effective enmass and not too difficult to paint in epic scale. Badab War histiry, but otherwise open to your interpretation
Some links which may aid your decision:
Liber Astartes has lots and lots of different Chapters, Official and Homegrown http://www.thewarp.net/war/liber/Index2.html
Captain Stern's Imperial database has great official colour pics(incl RT era) http://thewarp.net/war/stern/index/
as does this one: http://members.lycos.co.uk/marcinj01/Ch ... color.html
Cheers Tas
_________________ Tas My General blog: http://tasmancave.blogspot.com/ My VSF Blog: http://pauljamesog.blogspot.com/ My ECW Blog: http://declaresir.blogspot.com/
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Mojarn Piett
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Post subject: Tau List Question Posted: Tue Feb 17, 2004 2:32 pm |
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Joined: Fri Feb 14, 2003 7:35 am Posts: 5455 Location: Finland
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I personally think black armor are all but easy. My own chapter is black, and getting a 6mm mini that is black, look black, and still have enough shadow and light not to become "dull" and loose details and relief, i ended applying 5 Layers (not counting undercoat) on my marines
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Considering the level of detail I'm willing to do on Epic marines (e.g. non-existent) my Raven Guard/Angels of Vengeance _would_ end up looking dull. I take off my hat in astonishment for you, but I'm never going to have the patience to do the same.
Emperor's Pointy Sticks.
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Nope. If I'm going to do something like that It'll either be Emperor's Sore Losers (Chapter emblem: hammer crushing a die) or Heartbreakers. The former refers to my skills in the art of losing a game gracefully, the latter is a joke chapter I designed a long, long time ago in a galaxy not so far away. Their chapter emblem is a heart split by a lightning bolt, their armor color is pink and their (very recently appointed) chapter master is named Tom...
Your a heretic Mojarn. How can exclude Ultramarines!?
Easy, I want something different. Plain and simple.
I quite like DIY chapter, so alongside with the "green is mean" argument, i'd advise to do your Death Knight chapter.
Looks like you'll have to write this fluff...
The Death Knights are and are not my own invention, meaning I once wrote a short summary of several chapters for later use. Death Knights was one of them. Then I bought Insignium Astartes and (later) Space Marine collectors guide and sure enough, there was a chapter named Death Knights with a green color scheme. Somebody stole my thoughts!!!!
Anyway, even though I like the green armor I have been thinking that using a combined Steel/Black color scheme could well look good. Also, I don't like their chapter symbol (maltese cross on the forehead of a skull); IMO the skull superimposed on a sword used by Warmongers is much better for Death
Knights.
Hmm, I may have to paint a couple of test stands to see how the Steel/Black scheme works out. By this I mean Black boots, backpack, gauntlets & forearms while the rest is bright steel color (chainmail) to provide some contrast. What do you think?
As for the fluff, I'm afraid I am not very original fluff writer. See the article about Crimson Suns in a back issue of Incoming to see what I mean.

Edit: I think the Death Knights as a kind of more sinister Ultramarines but without the fanaticism of Black Templars. A chapter with strong code of honor but also a dark and sinister reputation like that of the Dark Angels. How I manage to combine these aspects in the (yet to be started) fluff is anybody's guess.
